Sleeping-car



(No Model.) 2 Shets-Sheet '1. P. S. TULL.

SLEEPING GAR.

No. 389,344. Patented Sept. 11, 1888.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OEETcE.

FRANCIS SHALIS TULL, OF GALVESTON, TEXAS.

SLEEPlNG CAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 389.34%, datedSeptember 11,1888.

Application filed October G, 1880. Renewed April 11, 1888. Serial No.270,279. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Farmers SHALIS TULL, of Galveston, in the county ofGalveston and State of Texas, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Sleeping-(Jars; and I do hereby declare the following tobe a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as willenable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and usethe same.

My invention relates to sleeping-cars, the primary object being tocombine with the maximum interior space for sleeping accommodationstrength, convenience, and durability of car structure.

A further object of the invention is to provide a car which will beadapted for day use as a parlor or chair car, and may be readilyconverted into a sleeping-car with independent state-rooms, thusinsuring privacy and comfort to passengers.

A further object of the invention is to provide a sleeping-car withimproved means and devices for facilitating the egress of passengers incase of danger.

"With these several ends in view the invention consists in thecombination, with a car, of a series of vertical columns or supportslocated in the body of the car, to serve the double purpose ofsupporting the roof of the car and furnishing a place of concealment forfolding or movable state-room partitions.

The invention further consists in the various features of constructionand combinations of parts hereinafter fully described,and pointed out inthe claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a transverse section of myimproved car. Fig.

2 is aplan view with the top of the car removed.

A represents the floor of the car, provided with a series of openings,a, covered by trapdoors B. Beneath the floor are arranged storagecompartments or boxes 0, to which access is had through the openings a.

D represents vertical supports or columns of the peculiar form shown,one side of each support (which I will call the front side) beingpreferably finished with a molding, while the rear portion extendsbackward and is recessed to form a space, d, to receive the sections ofthe folding partitions, as will be described. The supports D arearranged in pairs well out from the sides of the car to constituteboundaries for the central aisle. Additional supports, E, are arrangedadjacent to the sides of the car, and are also recessed to receivepartition-sections.

The storage boxes or compartments may be of any desired number; but itis my design to employ them in parallel rows of three each, so thatthere will be one compartment under each state-room and anaisle-compartment between every two opposite rooms.

The state-rooms F are made by employing partitions G, consisting of aseries of narrow sections, 9, hinged together and adapted to be foldedupon one another, and concealed within the supports D and E. Theportions which bound the outer sides of the state-rooms are foldedwithin the aisle-supports D, and those which bound the ends of the roomsare folded against the sides of the car within the recessed columns E.Said partitions are hinged at one end to the columns, and may be securedat their other ends when unfolded by any preferred devices.

It will be apparent from the description thus far that the interior ofthe car may be readily subdivided into a number of entirely independentrooms, and when it is desired to convert the car into a day car thepartitions are quickly folded and concealed within the respectivecolumns,thus adding to the strength and appearance of the latter.

In addition to their value as a means of con-,

cealing the partitions, the columns I) and E serve to support the roofof the car and em able me to employ sides of the minimum weight andthickness, thus contributing materially to the interior space of thecar.

In Fig. 2 the end rooms,H I-Lof the car are shown as retiringrooms,having aisle-doors h, and also end doors, h, the latter communicatingwith the adjacent state-rooms, whose side partitions join theretiring-rooms, thus enabling the occupants of said state-rooms to passinto the retiring-rooms directly from their state-rooms without passinginto the car-aisle.

Having thus described the general arrangement and plan for providingstate-rooms, I will now explain the manner of constructing the berthswithin the rooms and of concealing them when not desired for use.

I contemplate the use of both an upper and a lower berth in each room,although, when desired,only one berth may be used. Each lower berth issupported at each end by a bar, J, the inner end, j,of which is hookedto engage a suitable opening, j, in the side of the car.

The outer end of the bar J is supported by folding legs j These barsreceive the berth, which consists of any desired number of foldingsections.

I do not limit myself to any particular form of berth proper, it beingonly necessary that the berth shall be adapted to fold upon itself orroll up to be concealed withinlongitudinal,

the bars J of theupper berths are supportedby a hook or chain, M,suspended from the top of the car and adapted to be concealed from viewwhen desired. During the day the bars J J are removed and stored beneaththe car-floor, together With-the bedding, &c., and the berths are foldedagainst the sides and concealed, as above described.

It will be seen in Fig. 1 that I form the staterooms of sufficient sizeto leave amplev space for, the occupant to stand upright and dress andfor the accommodation of portable washstands and toilet articles, thusenabling the passenger to make his toilet privately in his own room andwithout the annoyance of walking the length of the car, as is customary.After the berths are concealed and the folding screens or partitionsadjusted to place within the columns, the car is clear of allobstructions and may be used as a parlor-car.

, Referring now to Fig. 1, 0 represents a hatch or removableroof-section, provided with any suitable means for securing it in place,so that it may be displaced from within the car. In connection with thishatch I employ on one of the columns a series of hand-holds orfootstaples, P, so that in case egress from the car cannot be hadthrough the doors passengers may escape through the roof-hatch. Theoutside of the car roof and side may be provided with any preferredescape devices, sothat the passenger may readily descend afterpassingthrough the hatch.

An important feature of my car as thus described over. thosecommonly-used is that I save the space usually occupied by the upperberth when folded to an inclined position, thus adding materially to theinterior space of the car.

i It is apparent that many slight changes or .,modifications of thedetails of my improved .car might be resorted to Without departing fromthe spirit of my invention. Hence I shown, but reserve the right tomyself to make all such changes, additions, or variations as mayproperly fall within the scope of the following claims.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is I 1. The combination, in asleeping-car, with a series of recessed vertical supports arranged inthe body of the car, of folding partitions secured to said supports andadapted to fold in the recesses of the supports, substantially asdescribed.

2. The combination, in a sleepingcar, with a series of recessed verticalsupports arranged in the body of the car and against the sides of thesame, of folding partitions secured to said supports and adapted to foldin the recesses thereof, substantially as described.

3. The combination, in a sleeping-car, with a series of recessedvertical supports arranged in the body and at the sides of the car andadapted to serve as supports for the roof and sides of the car, of aseries of folding partitions hinged to said supports and adapted to foldin the recesses thereof, substantially as described.

4. The combination, with the car floor and sides, of vertical supports,folding partitions secured thereto, receptacles on the sides of the carto receive both the upper and lower berths, said receptacles beingprovided with hinged covers and forming ornamental projections on thesides of the car, and supports adapted to be removably secured to thesides of the car to support the berths when in use, substantially asdescribed.

5. In a sleeping-car, the combination, with the upper and lowerreceptacles having hinged covers, said receptacles being adapted toreceive the berths, of the rods J J, removably secured to the sides ofthe car, folding legs for supporting the lower bar, and a removable rodor chain for supporting the upper bar, substantially as described.

6. The combination, with a car, of roof doors or hatches and interiorcolumns provided with hand-holds, substantially as described.

7. A sleeping-car having covered receptacles arranged below its floor, aseries of recessed vertical supports arranged in the body and at thesides of the car, folding partitions to fit in said recesses, berthsremovably secured to the sides of the car, and the covered receptaclesforming ornamental projections on the sides of the car, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

FRANCIS SHALIS TULL.

" Witnesses:

J As. W. HALE, RICHARD B. S. GRIM.

